Dash construction for motor-vehicles.



C. L. SHEPPY & J. R. WAY. DASH CONSTRUCTION FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1912.

2 8HBETS-SHEET 1.

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Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

0. L. SHEPPY & J. R. WAY. DASH CONSTRUCTION FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.APPLICATION FILED SEPT.13,191Z.

Patented D60. 31, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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UBWTE TATEs PATENT- OFFICE.

CHARLES L. SHEPPY AND JAMES R. WAY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TOTHE PIERCE ARROXV MOTOR CAR COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

Specificatioh of Letters Patent.

DASH CONSTRILT CTION FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Patented D1112? B3 3 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, JHARLES L. SHEPPY and JAMES R. WAY, citizens oftheUnited States residing at Bufialo, in the'county of Erie and Stiite ofNew Yorlg have invented. a new and useful Improvement in DashConstructions for IliotovVehicles, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relate's to" dash construe tions for motor Vehicles andhas for one of its objects to provide a construction comprising achassis dash which is a permanent part ofthe chassis and on which thevarious dash instruments or appliances necessary to the control orZopera-tion of the car are mounted; and an ornamental or body dash whichis separable from. the chassis dash and is adapted to beeemoved. withoutdisturbing the instruments or appliances mounted on the ChiiSSlS dash.Thus the chassis can he 1 built complete with the necessary dash instruments or appliances in place on the per- -manent chassis dash, and abody builder can supply 9 .JPPYOPIL iy of any desired style and an elyfinished body dash Without disturbing the do instruments or theirconnection with. the-operating; mechanism of the 1 ercnce to the chassisdash, so as to provide In the accompanying drawings. consist-- in of twosheets: Figure l is a fragmen;

side elevation of a motor vehicle prowith a dash (IOPHiZ'UCtVHiembodying the invention. Fig. 2 an elevation partly ction oi the dasl'isoon from the drivmal. Fig. 3-3 is a ll())iZ-)Ditl section thereof inline 3- Fig. 2. Fig. 4' is a longitudinal; sectio ull elcvotion on anenlarged scale tl 5 n trmrsversc sectional elevation thereof. Fig. (3 isan enlarger] perspective View, dotacheth of the insirumeut case.

Like reference characters parts in the several figures.

A represents the side bars of the rlmssis or mulorfngunc of a motorvehicle. l) the vehicle body and (l the hood at the. rout f to lilorefer'on the automobile dash.

parts being of any struction. V

D represents-the chassis dash and E the ornamental or body dash. Thechassis dash extends transversely across the vehicle, as usual, betweenthe front end of the. body and the rear end of the hood C, and may besecured in place on the frame in any suitable manner. As shown itconsists of an upright metal. plate conforming in outline to the crosssectional shape of the hood C by whiclnit is securely held. in place onthe frame. The body or ornamental dash is in the nature of a cowl orhood having spaced front and rear walls a and 6', respectively, joinedby connecting portions at the top and side portions of the dash. Thefront -wall is removahly secured by bolts 0, or other suitablefastenings to the edge portions of the chassis dash, and as shown in thedraw ings, the side portions thereof curve laterally and rearwardly andthe upper portion usual or suitable concnrv upwardly and remiwardly fromthe chess dash toward the rear wall, thus g1 vwalls are connected bybars a 'which constitute the front portion of the tore-door frame. Therear i'zill e of the body dash preferably terminates far enough abovethe foot board of the vehicle to allow ample foot space for theoccupants of the front seat of-the car. The body dash is also removablyfastened at the lower edges of its side portions to tho chasis orundcrframe by suitable securing bolts or devices e, see Figs. 2 and 4, Frep resents an instrument box or case for the ignition switch, gages andother instruments or appliances which are m'dinarily mounted.

This misc is socui'cly ins-toned in anysuitablc way on the rl'iassisdash and extends remw-vurdly therel'rom to the rear wall c ol. the bodydash, which is provided with an open bottomed op ningf' through whichthe instruments or :uipliancm on the rear wall of the case i project andare oxposod to View. The edges of the Ulltflllllf" f in the rear wall ofthe body dash are preicrubly secured to the edges of the rear wall ofthe instrument case by sort-rm. f or other removable l'astt'min gs, sothat th rear wall of tho iustrumentcusc l the aarhichw which voters theengine. lhose l'oi'mrin effect a panel in the. rear wall of eas-soc thebody dash and the instruments mounted l ably secured on the 'ehicle andis separable on the case have the 1e lcation and appearance as ifmountec directly on the rear wall of the body dash. *TlllS construction,

however, permits the body dash E to be dc tached from the chassis D andthe case F and removed leaving the instruments in place and undisturbedo the chassis dash The dash instruments town in the drawings consist ofa switch for the magneto and battery ignition system, a switch 2 forlighting, a voltmeter 3 for the battery and the lighting generator, apressure gage 4 for the compressed air starter for the engine, a gage 5that shows the height ofthe gasolene in the gasolene tank, an indicator6 for the oiling system, and an electric lamp T for illuminating thisgroup of instruments at. night. ited to the. character or number of theinstruments mounted on the case, and any instruments or appliancesnecessary to the control or operation of the car can be provided.Openings f closed by suitable cove s or doors f are preferably providedin the sides of the instrumentto afford access to the connections (notshown) for the instruments mounted on the case.

Doors G are shown in the rear wall of the body dash at opposite sides ofthe instru ment case F to give access to the space be tween the frontand'rear walls of the dash, which is ordinarily about six inches deep,so that this space can be utilized for the storage of tools, or anyother small articles that it may be desired t6 carry. i

H. represents a group of 'foot plungcrs and valves arranged beneath thebody dash for operating the compressed air starter not shown) for themotor of the vehicle. These appliances are mounted on a bracket h whichs fixed to the chassis dash D, and project therefrom beneath the footboard I so that the parts thereon remain undisturbed when removing thebody and body dash.

The described construction and arrangement of the separable dash parts,or body and chassis dashes, enables the Yehicleto be furnished with abody dash of any desired design, or the body dash to be removed witl thebody of the vehicle, while the chassis dash and the various instrumentsor applr ances mounted thereon remain intact on the chassis, and,therefore, obviate the necessity for tampering with any of theconnections between these appliances and the operating mechanisms ofthe,car which are carried by the chassis. Nevertheless, the. dash instruments or appliances are located in ccnvcnient positions atthe dash. Inaddition, the construction providcsa convenient storage chamber in thevehicle dash.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a motor vehicle, the combination of a chassis dash, a body dashwhich is remov This'invent-ion, however, is not lim.

from said chas is dash, said body dash having a wall. in rear of saidchassis dash, and dash instrui'i'ieiits supported by the chassis dashadjacent to but independently of said wall of the bot y dash,- wherebysaid body dash can be removed from. the vehicle i981 ingsaid instrumentsin place on the dash, substantially setforth 2. In a motor vehicle, thecombination. of a chassis dash, a body dash which is removably secured.on the vehicle and is separable from said chassis dash, said bodydashsha'v ing a wall in rear ofand spaced from. said chassis dash, an.instrument support secured support secured. to said chassis dash andprov jecting therefrom toward said rear wall of thebody dash, and dashinstruments'inount" ed on said support with portions thereof exposed. inrear of said rear wall of the body dash, substantially set fort-h.

e. In a motor vehicle, the combination of a chassis dash, a hollow bodydash wldch is removably secured on the vehicle and is separable fromsaid chassis dash, said body dash lli-l-Vll'lg a -rear wall which isspaced from said chassis dash and walls extending from said rear wall tothe upper and side portions of said chassis dash, an instrument;

secured to and'pro ecting reaiwvardly ti-om said dash to said rear wallof the body dash, and dash instruments mounted on the rear of saidinstrumcntcaseand exposed through an opening insaid rear wall of thebody-daslnsubstantially as set forth. 5. in a motor vehicle, thecombination of a chassis dash, a removable body dash com prising a rearwall located in rear of and spaced from said chassis dash, and wallsextending from the upper and side edges of said rear walland detachablysecured to the upper and side edges of said chassis dash, an instrumentcase mounted on saidchassis dash and having a face plate detachablysecured to said rear wall of the body dash and exposed through anopening therein, and dash i struments mounted on said face plate of theinstrument substantially as set forth.

6. in a motor vehicle, the combination of a chassis dash, a removablebody dash. which is separable from said chassis dash and forms therewithan inclosed chamber, said body dash having a rear Wall provided with adoor affording access to said chamber, substantially as set forth.

7. In a motor vehicle, the combination of a chassis dash, a removablebody dash which is separable from said chassis dash and forms therewithan inoiosed chamber extending: rearwardiy from the chassis dash aboveand spaced from the floor of the vehicie, said a door aflording accessto said chamber, substantially as set forth.

Witness our hands this 9th day of Septem- 15 ber, 1912.

I 1 CHARLES L. SHEPP'Y. JAMES R. WAY.

I body dash havirig a rear wall provided with Witnesses WILLIAM H.LOOKE, WM. J. PLA'IT.

